


As It Should Be

by Lhugy_for_short



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anal Sex, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Gratuitous Smut, Happy Ending, Happy New Year Smut, M/M, Oral Sex, Post-Dawn, bottom Noct
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 07:28:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28467570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lhugy_for_short/pseuds/Lhugy_for_short
Summary: Exactly one year after the Dawn, and with King Noctis set to return from negotiations abroad, nearly everyone in Insomnia is in a festive mood.Everyone except Ignis, for whom the last three weeks have been a painful reminder of life without Noct close at hand.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 3
Kudos: 92
Collections: Ignoct New Years Gift Exchange 2020





	As It Should Be

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beetroot_of_doubt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetroot_of_doubt/gifts).



> YAY! My first fic of 2021! Dedicated to flames_knight, my giftee in the Ignoct New Year Exchange :) Thank you so much for the awesome prompt! I hope I managed to capture their official positions as well as a bit of their private domestic bliss *wink wink* Happiest of New Years to everyone! May every day be filled with smutty goodness and Ignis getting everything he deserves <3

A warm, gentle breeze blew in that morning from the Lucian sea. It wound and twisted its way through the streets, carrying with it the salty scent of waves that had for so many generations eluded the city of Insomnia. Yet as the ancient barrier Walls had come down, so, too, had the world come into view, and the kingdom that had for so long closed itself off out of fear had begun to heal. 

It was fitting, then, that on that particular morning, with the breeze rustling the banners strung from the Citadel's ramparts, that they should be celebrating the first anniversary of the Dawn. 

Ten years of Darkness at the hands of the demon usurper. No one knew the hardships of that time better than the people of Lucis, who had fought those long years for survival in the face of loss, grief, and near hopelessness. Clinging with all they had left to the prophecy that their king, the One True King, would return to chase away the endless night, and reclaim the throne for his rightful line. The whole world had waited for Noctis those ten long years. But for some, the wait had been longer still. 

Ignis looked up at the towers of the palace, decorated in streaming banners of orange and ruby and gold, and sighed with the weariness befitting his position. It was all wrong.  _ Tacky _ , even. The colors were meant to be dignified yet somber, much like the subtle blacks and golds of the Lucian emblem. He'd made the request at least a dozen times, had sent back sample after sample to the merchants with the expectation they would at last get it right before the king himself returned. 

Clearly, he'd overestimated their sense of self-preservation. 

"You, there," he snapped to a passing glaive. The man turned abruptly, surprise written on his face beneath the garland of sylleblossoms he wore on his head. 

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yes, sir, Scientia, sir!" 

"Do you have any idea who put these banners up without my permission?" Green eyes narrowed in suspicion behind sharp silver frames. "Or who approved those gaudy flags that've been strung up all over the courtyard?" 

The glaive, suddenly shuffling uncomfortably in his boots, cleared his throat. "Uh. No, sir. No idea, sir. Just got here myself, sir." 

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose to dissuade the headache he could feel coming on. "Then could you tell me who  _ was  _ on duty this morning so that I can ask them about the banners instead?" 

"Uh, w-well, like I said, sir, I just got here, and I only know I'm replacing Giles, sir, so I guess if you want to talk to her I can--" 

"Forget it," he interrupted in barely concealed frustration. "Just make yourself useful and bring me a coffee. " 

* * *

The coffee was decidedly not helping. He tapped his heel impatiently against the stone floor, his bad mood worsened by caffeine and the overly bright display of lights hanging from the rafters of the Great Hall. If he'd thought the banners outside the palace had been awful, inside was akin to the seventh circle of interior design hell. 

Heads, he thought darkly as he inhaled the last sip of his drink, would absolutely roll for this. 

A glaive, a new one from before but wearing the same ridiculous crown of flowers on her head, came to a halt in front of Ignis. "Sir!" she barked with a stiff salute. "Giles reporting, sir!" 

He visibly winced at the volume of her voice. "Yes, ah. At ease, if you would. I'm looking for those responsible for this morning's decorations. I was told you were on duty all night?" 

"Yes, sir. I was here." 

"Then you must have some idea who put up these banners without my approval." 

"Not a clue, sir," she said, still rigid at attention. She seemed completely unaware of the way Ignis' aura was beginning to flicker at the edges. "I was stationed on the western ramparts for most of the night, so I didn't get a good look at the team down here."

"That is...most unfortunate." 

Blinking, she looked caught between saluting again or asking to be dismissed. "Is...there a problem, sir?" 

_ Of course there's a problem! Am I the only one sane around here?  _ Aloud, he simply said: "There's apparently been a kerfuffle over the color scheme that was decided upon last week. I was hoping to remedy that problem before His Majesty's entourage returns this afternoon." 

"I see, sir." Again, the woman tensed her shoulders beneath her uniform, preparing to make an announcement in far too sharp a tone. "And, are you aware that the Crownsguard arrived with the king at the city gates about fifteen minutes ago, sir?" 

Ignis, shooting a silent curse to the Beyond, excused himself with a tight lipped smile. 

* * *

In all of his thirty-three years, Ignis had never once regretted a cup of coffee the way he did now. His legs trembled and his heart thudded furiously beneath his breast. Nerves on edge both because of the banners on hideous display at his back, and because it had been nearly three weeks since Noctis had been home. 

_ Noctis _ . His heart was filled with a concoction of hope and longing and trepidation at the thought of seeing his king again. Every time he left, every time his position called him away from Insomnia, it felt like  _ that time _ all over again. When Noct wasn't there, Ignis couldn't feel settled. He couldn't assuage the constant fear that somehow, despite the peace they'd built together in the world, he wouldn't return at all. Another Darkness would fall - even if it were for Ignis alone. 

But Noctis  _ had  _ come back. Ignis could see him getting out of the car now, with Gladio and Prompto flanking him on either side, loyal as ever. From atop the Citadel steps, Ignis' heart skipped a beat.  _ Noctis, _ he wanted to shout, but swallowed back his joy.  _ Noctis, please don't notice the banners.  _

They were coming closer. Prompto said something, and the others laughed with a lightness Ignis couldn't bring himself to feel. That light had been missing these long weeks. Noctis had taken it with him as he always seemed to do. Until he was back by his side, back in his arms, Ignis felt the lack of its warmth as surely as an exposed wound. 

_ Noctis…!  _

From under a sweep of black locks long since fallen out of place, midnight blue eyes found him. Though Noctis' pace remained steady, there was something in the way his back straightened, the way his arms relaxed at his sides, that told Ignis he hadn't been the only one longing for this moment. Five more steps, three, then Noctis was there, standing right in front of him. When he smiled, Ignis felt his tension begin to bleed away. When he held out his fist, Ignis was torn between tapping his knuckles against it, or falling to his knees to press his lips to familiar skin. 

"Hey, Specs," the king grinned in a way reminiscent of distant summers and the wind off the Caem sea. "We're back." 

He was suddenly aware that he'd been holding onto his breath. He released it now, unable to disguise the hint of a smile it brought to his lips. "Your Majesty. It's good to see you in one piece." 

_ I've missed you so godsdamned much.  _

"Thanks to these guys," Noct, tactfully, gestured to Gladio and Prompto at his back. His eyes, however, spoke to a different rhythm.  _ You, me. Inside. Right now.  _

Ignis swallowed. Beyond the king's shoulder, Gladio was laughing about some beasts they'd scared off the road being the biggest threat on the whole trip, but Ignis was no longer interested in listening. Noctis was home. Noctis needed him. Nothing else mattered. 

"You must be exhausted, Your Majesty. Please allow me to escort you to your chambers." 

"Sounds good," came the reply, even as Noct handed over a small briefcase for the sake of propriety. "And I'll ask you to catch me up on everything I missed while I was away." 

"Of course. It may take a while…." 

Noct shrugged, affecting a weary smile in front of the others. "A king's job is never done, huh. Don't wait up, guys. Can you get the rest of the bags?" 

He'd grabbed Ignis' wrist and was already dragging him inside before they could hear Prompto's reply. 

* * *

"I am  _ never  _ going to that frozen popsicle country ever again." The first words out of Noct's mouth once they reached the precious seclusion of his chambers fell on only half-interested ears. Ignis was close, so close he could smell the sea breeze still clinging to the king's hair from his travels. Salt, sweat, weariness. In that moment, none of it could have mattered less. 

With agonizing restraint, Ignis ran his hands up Noctis' back, his shoulders, to help relieve him of his heavy jacket. As it slid from his arms, he felt Noct's presence shift away again, if only briefly, towards his desk. 

"Seriously, I still feel like my toes are gonna break off, that's how cold it was. Three layers of socks, Specs. Three. Layers. Still fucking cold."

Noctis propped himself up on the edge of aged mahogany. Tugged his boots off one by one, and leaned back on his elbows in clear invitation. An opportunity Ignis wasn't about to miss. 

"You've had a hard journey, Your Majesty," he said, speaking for the first time since closing the doors behind them. His voice, he noticed with a thrill, had Noct swallowing in a way he probably thought was subtle. Yet how could it be? He knew Noctis better than anyone. He hummed to himself as he approached the desk, one purposeful step at a time. He knew every tell, every hitch of breath, every smouldering look. 

Looks like the one he was receiving now. 

Loosening the tie around his collar, Ignis allowed those midnight blues to guide him into place. 

"How may I be of service, my king?" 

Any other time, Noctis might have laughed or swatted away the hands that reached out to unbutton his shirt. He might have told Ignis to drop the act, that it was just the two of them, there was nothing to prove here. But this time was different. He  _ needed _ this too much, and so did Ignis. So with his chest bared to the dim light beyond the curtains, and his knees spread to make room for his lover between them, Noctis commanded him through trembling lips. 

"I need you to warm me back up." 

It was a simple request, but one to which Ignis gave himself over completely. Hot lips found shivering skin. He kissed at the short stubble growing along the king's jaw - he hadn't shaved in at least three days, by his estimate. Followed the rough hairs down to his chin, to his throat, as Noct's head tipped back to give him better access. He cradled dark hair between his fingers, lavishing his mouth upon the familiar -  _ oh so familiar _ \- taste of pale skin until his lips brushed the curve of collarbone. This sight, he knew well, was one he could never bear to waste, and so he turned sharp emeralds up just as he drew back for air. 

Already, Noctis was flushed a telling shade of pink. Light, quickly fading marks - they couldn't exactly risk more, could they? - adorned his neck and throat like a garland of kisses, still glistening and shimmering with slick where an overzealous mouth had done its work. Below, the soft planes of his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths - a sign that three weeks apart had been exactly three too many. 

Ignis, flicking his tongue out to sate his lips, couldn't have agreed more. 

Time was meaningless, seconds slowing to minutes slowing to hours as the reality around them became suspended in need. Noctis wound long arms around Ignis' shoulders, his fingers catching on the fabric there, curling tight around anything they could find to keep Ignis' heat in close. To keep the tongue worshipping each of his nipples in turn from ever pulling away from him again. 

Ignis, for his part, tried desperately to keep his eyes open while his king fell apart above him. Yet as he moved south, feeling the trembling of Noct's abs beneath his lips, hearing the near-silent gasps of pleasure tumble down from above, the sheer relief overwhelmed him. To have Noct home, to be able to touch him, to feel him and hear him…. It was no small wonder he'd felt incomplete without this. Noctis was part of him, all the memories and moments they'd shared making his absence a painful ache.  _ Longing. Need.  _ They could sate it all right here, right now, world around them be damned. 

The hardness beneath the fabric of the king's slacks called to Ignis. He unfastened the button and zipper with practiced ease, surprised to find no further barriers between him and the prize he sought. A quick glance up into smouldering blues preceded his next question. 

"No underwear today, Your Majesty?" 

" _ Mm,  _ nope. I planned ahead." 

"On a ship full of your loyal subjects? Awfully bold of you. What if they'd found out?" 

"You...would've handled it?" 

Ignis didn't reply, not with words. His mouth, he reasoned, was answer enough in the way its warmth suddenly moved to envelop sensitive flesh. Above him, he heard Noctis suck in a sharp breath. Fingers tightened in the folds of his jacket, and a jolt of pleasure shot through the cock between his lips. 

" _ Iggy… _ !" 

The name was a whispered hiss on Noct's tongue. He hadn't been ready, for all his teasing and tempting, and the taste of precum already filling Ignis' mouth told him just how easy his work would be this time. Noct was so sensitive, even more than usual. A simple swirl of his tongue into the slit of Noct's cock left the king breathless. The drag of the flat up his shaft made him whimper in a way Ignis hadn't heard in years. Had three weeks really been so long? Or was there another explanation for Noct's impressive need? 

Time, Ignis supposed, would tell, as he took his king's cock into his throat with all the reverence of a parishioner at prayer.

The very air began to vibrate, to heat up around them in pace with Noct's rapid heartbeat. Ignis could sense the way his blood throbbed beneath the skin of his cock. Could feel the desperate pulsing of the veins there against his tongue, and he let it guide him. Followed the ebb and flow of his king's evident pleasure to take him deeper, to pull back on occasion to give him reprieve. Then to swallow him down again until those moans were tightening with strain. 

Yet as much as he would have welcomed the hot splash of climax he expected, Noctis apparently had other plans. His thighs trembled, and his breath shuddered from his lips, yet all it took was Iggy's name whispered amidst the passion to get his message across. He wanted  _ more _ . He wanted Ignis' pleasure as well as his own, wanted to be wrapped in his familiar arms and give in to the hot breath on his neck. 

Ignis read all of this in the space of a heartbeat. No one knew Noctis the way he did, no one ever could. This intimacy, this wordless understanding. It was special, a kind of bond that could only be  _ felt _ in the depths of his being, and which pulled him up to his feet now to grant his king's sweet wish. 

Noct turned for him easily. Two pairs of hands found the sturdy surface of the desk, and Noctis leaned his weight forward onto it. At his back, Ignis focused for the moment on newly accessible skin -  _ nape, ear, the rough line of Noct's jaw  _ \- before taking up control once again. One hand lingering atop Noct's flattened palm, he used the other to slide dark slacks further down lean thighs. Exposing the sweet mounds of the king's ass, firm and yet malleable as he rubbed his hips forward against them. 

Even through his own clothing, the effect was immediate. His body  _ craved _ Noct's warmth, and Noctis in turn craved him. Like magnets being teased together, so close and yet all either of them wanted was to become  _ one.  _

"Have you…prepared for this, as well, Majesty?" It was difficult to steady his voice. Noctis heard the hunger there and shivered. 

"In the…top drawer." 

"That old bottle?" Ignis smirked, his lips curling against the rim of Noct's ear, his voice sending bolts of need directly south. 

Rolling his hips back, the king nodded. "'S fine. Make it work." 

"Of course, Noct." 

Pressing a warm kiss to hold his place, Ignis reluctantly pulled away from the body beneath him. A quick search of the usual drawer - yes, there, just under the notepad - and he was back in position. "Shall I do the honors, love?" 

Noct arched back catlike to greet him. " _ Please _ ." 

The cool liquid was dripping onto the fingers of his right hand before the king even finished his request. He smeared them, slicked them thoroughly with practiced ease. Slid them playfully over the dimples of Noct's lower back on the way to their destination. There, overwhelming heat met him. Noctis was still rocking gently, the movements of his hips encouraging Ignis to get on with it, but he couldn't resist a moment to revel in the familiar warmth. Tight muscles, smooth skin, the soft gasp that left Noct when Ignis stroked further down his cleft. After three weeks apart, what was there not to savor? 

But Noctis, ever toeing impatience, urged him on. "Please, Iggy. Don't tease. Not today…." 

He had a point. There were others who needed them, reports to be given and bags to be unpacked. Noct couldn't keep his kingdom waiting. They could take their time to indulge properly later. 

"N- _ ngh! _ " The king squeezed his eyes shut, hands curling on the desk at the sudden intrusion. Two of Ignis' fingers had pressed into him at once. Even slicked the fit was tight, and molten heat had clamped down on instinct to tell Ignis to hold a moment. But not long. Just as he knew Noct's heart, he knew his body just as well. Knew his limits and how much he could take without giving in. This, as Noct himself would say, was  _ cake, baby _ . 

"I'm going to add another, love," Ignis hummed into black locks. "Relax, I've got you." 

Noct did indeed relax a little, the muscles of his opening slowly making room for Ignis to work. A third finger pushed into him, deeper and deeper with the rest, helping to loosen, to ignite, to prepare the way for much more very quickly. 

Inside, Ignis purred, his king felt like glorious silk. Being able to touch him so intimately was truly a gift. Even better to sink his own eager flesh into that willing hole, and to feel those tight walls constrict around his length.  _ Goodness,  _ he gasped to himself at the mere thought of being nestled inside his king. At this rate, he was going to finish before he even got his pants down.

"Majesty. I…, I need to…." 

"Hurry up and fuck me, Igs, I can't hold out much longer." 

Well, then. He certainly didn't need any further instigating. Withdrawing his fingers as carefully as he dared, Ignis wiped them clean on his pants (in the heat of the moment, sacrifices sometimes had to be made) and quickly fumbled open his belt. It hit the floor with a clang, dragging his pants down with it and leaving only his freshly pressed briefs between him and his king. Those, too, he made short work of, until, with a sigh of relief, he was able to stroke his slick-soaked fingers over the throbbing length of his cock. 

"Noctis. How I missed you," he groaned, lining up the tip against fluttering muscles. "Nothing is right when you're not here with me. Nothing…!" 

His own voice was overwhelmed by the heady, satisfied groan of the man beneath him. Their bodies met, Noct opening readily to accept his weight, and in that moment Ignis felt once again  _ complete _ . Whole, like every part of him that had been hurting, aching, empty was filled with a warmth and light only Noct could bring. Tears stung his eyes at the freedom he felt. They could be anywhere - a dark office, a soft bed, an open-top car on a balmy summer a decade ago - but so long as they were together like this, Ignis had everything he would ever need again. 

After a moment, urgent shifting brought him back to the present. He obliged. Gripped Noct's narrow hips with both hands and began to move, sliding out and in and out of delicious heat. Deeper and deeper, less hurried now that they were in sight of the finish line, taking his time to find all the right spots that were sending Noctis out of his mind. 

Attentive with both his hands and his mouth at the same time, Ignis fell into his lover with every part of himself. Kissing, licking, stroking, fucking; setting the pace to which Noct eagerly rose to meet every thrust. 

Yet, as he'd expected, the desperation of it all sent them both hurling towards a hasty finish. With a strained moan Noctis curled his fist around his cock. Pumped once, twice, before his body tightened and he came, spilling his climax onto the surface of his desk. 

Ignis held him through it, and even after the waves of pleasure that had left the king trembling began to subside. His own cock twitched for release inside impossible heat, yet he continued to deny it for a long moment after Noctis relaxed in his arms. He closed his eyes. Drew the tip of his nose through the dark roots of his king's hair, and breathed in deep. Traced the outlines of his frame without having to see him to know every inch, inside and out. And then, only when he felt Noct's heartbeat settle to a strong, steady rhythm again, did he chase the last yards of pleasure for himself. 

They were silent for a long while after. In the absence of words, lingering touches found their way to chests, thighs, lips. Noct kissed him softly even as Ignis set to work fastening one stubborn button after the other, neither minding the few stolen minutes of peace in the space between. A king and his advisor, a lover and his muse, they could be whatever they wanted here behind these walls. Let it last a little while longer. 

About the time Ignis finished cinching up Noctis' tie, there was an unexpected knock on the office doors. The two exchanged a look in the dim light. Had their presence at last been missed in the great hall? The apologetic smile Noctis offered said he'd concluded as much. 

"Sorry, Igs. Duty calls." 

"We have tonight, love. And every night after for the foreseeable future." 

"Hmm." Though brief, the hum tasted of promise against Ignis' lips. Anticipation began to swell again, and he knew he could endure the next few hours without Noct pressed against him if it meant a sweeter reward later. 

"On that note, Your Majesty. We'd best go and see what they want." 

A young man was waiting at the office doors, not much older than Iris by the looks of him, impeccably dressed in a suit of white and gold. While Noct hardly seemed to notice him at all, Ignis did a double take at the way his sparkling red wingtips clashed with the rest of his outfit. 

"Ah, Your Majesty!" the young man greeted with a flourishing bow so deep it nearly dislodged the flower garland perched on his head. "Welcome back, sir! It's an honor to have you home again. I sincerely hope you enjoy the evening's festivities." 

Noctis was already moving past him when he paused. "Festivities? Iggy, you didn't mention you guys were throwing me a party."

"I was...regrettably unaware, Your Majesty." 

"Oh! That reminds me, Mr. Scientia. I heard from my associates that you were looking for me this morning." Offering a second bow in Ignis' direction, the young man appeared caught between his pride and trepidation. "The one in charge of this year's Citadel event committee is yours truly, sir. Was there some sort of problem?"

It honestly took Ignis several heartbeats to recall his earlier displeasure with the decorations. Was it something about the colors? The design? In hindsight, the festive decor actually did more to capture the merry mood of the Dawn Celebration. So what if it hadn't matched his expectations; Noct seemed content with the display, and that truly was all that mattered.

"Not at all. Nothing to worry about. Everything is exactly as it should be." 

With a warm smile that left the intrepid interior decorator oddly speechless, Ignis fell into step beside his king down the hall. 


End file.
